Gun for urging plugs and pins into a compact mass



April 1960 M. REYMOND GUN FOR URGING PLUGS AND PINS INTO A COMPACT MASS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 15, 1957 INVENTOR W .mw=-'4g 7 ATTORNEY April 12, 1960 REYMOND 2,932,031

\ GUN FOR URGING PLUGS AND PINS INTO A COMPACT MASS Filed Nov. 15, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 F '92 9 14 1] l INVENTOR f if Mfg/lb Rqm 1 BY wm-W ATTORNEY improved safety means.

United States. Patent GUN FOR URGING PLUGS AND COMPACT MASS Michel Raymond, St.-Etienne, France, assignor to Socit Civile dEtude dc Procds de Scellement, Saint- Etienne, France Application November 15 1957, Serial No. 696,724 Claims priority, application France -November 22, 1956 I 1 Claim. c 1 44.5

PINS lNro A Plugging and dowelling guns are well known in the art and they should be equipped in a perfectly reliable manner so that they may be used by any, even unskilled person in any profession whatever and for all purposes, without it being possible to remove purposely or otherwise the safety means equipping it.

To this end, I have devised safety means for preventing any removal of the splinter-proof and flame-guard means of the gun with reference to the nozzle on the case containing the cylinder breech and assembling the barrel with said case and with the gun as a whole.

means which serve for protection against flames and splinters without rendering the gun unserviceable, since the gun is then no longer rigid with the breech case and the sealing means considered asa Whole. This'leads to perfect safety in use in conformity with oflicial regula- "tions concerning such apparatus.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating a preferred I embodiment of my invention:

1 is a perspective view showing the system includ- I ing the protection against flames and splinters, which Q system is rigid with the nozzle of the breech case, said system being shown as separated from the barrel and lying coaxially with the latter before the mounting of the gun.

Fig. 2 is an outer view of the gun equipped with my Fig. 3 is a plan view corresponding to Fig. 2.

Figs. 4 and 5 are, on a largerscale, axial cross-sectional views of an embodiment of the means protecting against flames and splinters in association with the nozzle of the breech case as fitted on the gun body, part of which is illustrated in said figures. More precisely, Fig. 4 shows the safety means in their normal location which does not allow operation while Fig. 5 illustrates the gun when sub- )iected to a pressure against the surface into which it is Fig. 6 shows on a reduced scale and in elevational view the gun when rendered inoperative through the dismantling of the system including the means protecting against flames and splinters and the nozzle of the breech case.

Fig. 7 illustrates separately said system.

Referring to said figures, there is provided a tubular box or case 1, in which is slidingly fitted the movable breech 2; said case is mounted on and secured to a unitary butt 3 through the agency of a shaped strip 4 forming a cradle for the butt and case 1 (Figs. 1, 2, 4).

A breech cap 5 of shaped metal conceals the ejecting port provided in the breech case in the firing position. The breech cap 5 isrigid with the breech 2 to which it is connected through the rear-end-piece 6.

One end of the gun barrel 7 is slidingly fitted in a bearing 1 on the front section of the breech case. The angular position of the barrel is defined by a stud projecting through said bearing 1 safety grooves 7 in the barrel .25 It is thus impossible to remove the essential safety 2,932,031 Patented Apr.*12, 196Q;

which allow the gases to be exhausted in case the barrel is jammed.

A spring 8 acts through expansion, inside the bore at the end of the breech case, between a shoulder inside said bore and a collar 7 on the barrel so as to urge the latter against a'shoulder 9 of the nozzle 9 which closes the front end of the case 1.

This arrangement provides for safety since it holds the rear end 7 of the barrel, in which the explosive load is carried, spaced away from the front end of the breech 2 carrying the striker system 2? (Fig. 4). l

The openings 7 formed in the barrel in a bearing surface of a reduced diameter near its front end provide for the exhaust of the gases which may leak to the front of the missile at the moment of the firing. r 1

According to my invention, a splinter protector 10 .iS. provided on the gun. It is as a matter offact frequent that the impact of the missile against the, surface in which a plugging and dowelling is to be performed produces a somewhat energetic projection of more or less numerous splinters according to the nature ofthe material forming thesaid surface.

In the example illustrated which should not be construed in a limiting sense, the plinter protector 10 is toreshaped and made of molded metal, so as to form an annular chamber 10 preventing the splinters from being projected at. a distance from the point of plugging and dowelling. Said splinter protector may be provided for instance with a flat lateral surface element 10 (Figs. 1 to 3), which facilitates plugging and dowelling near corners. I

Similarly, the splinter protector may be provided with a second flat surface 10 at right angle with the first one as shown in interrupted lines in Fig. l or in any other angular position so as to facilitate the plugging and dowelling, with the splinter protector in position on the gun at points which would be otherwise beyond reach. Of course, the chamber 10 is closed on the inside of said fiat surfaces.

Reference marks such as 10 or the like may be advantageously provided at the periphery of the splinter protector so as to further its alignment with the axis of the gun and to improve the accuracy of plugging and dowelling.

The splinter protector 10 is fitted with a force fit or by any other suitable means over a bearing surface at the front end of the flame protector or shield 11 forming also a silencer.

It is also possible to associate the splinter protector with the flame protector 11 or flame shield to form a unit.

The flame shield 11 is provided with guiding bearings sliding over the barrel 7 while ports 11 are formed obliquely in said flame shield away from the operator to protect the latter and to connect the chamber inside the flame shield with the outer atmosphere.

According to an essential feature of my invention, the system including the flame shield and splinter protector 11 and it is axially and permanently rigid with the nozzle 9 which is mounted on and secured to the front end of the breech case without any possibility of a separation while said system may be angularly shifted in a completely free manner with reference to said nozzle 9. However, said system can slide axially relative to the nozzle 9 and breech case 1.

To this end and according to an example given in a non limiting sense, a shouldered ring 12 is secured through pins 13 or the like permanent means to a cylindrical bearing surface 11 on the flame protector, after a second shouldered ring 14 has been fitted over the said ring 12. The ring 14 may slide over the ring 12 but its shoulder 14 abutting against the shoulder 12 on the ring-12 provides for the assembly of the rings and holds them permanently together.

The ring 14 is made rigid in a permanent manner with the nozzle 9, in a manner such that it cannot be separated therefrom, through welding or soldering at 14 for instance or through any other known means.

There are therefore provided both an axial assembly allowing freedom in one direction, axially of the gun, and a rotary entirely free connection between, on the one hand, the nozzle 9 and the ring 14 and on the other hand the splinter protector 10, the flame protector 11 and the ring 12. A spring 15 is fitted between the forwardly facing shoulder 9 of the nozzle and the rear end of the flame protector 11. Said spring urges permanently and bodily forward the flame protector 11 andthe splinter protector 10, except at the moment of the firingfso-as to protect the front end of the barrel 7 which is normally in a receding position with reference to the lane of ap le cation of the splinter protector *10 against 'the surfaee engaged by the gun (Fig. 4). V V

The operation of the gun is obvious and its safety means operate in a manner which will be readily apparent from inspection of Fig. 4 in which the gun is not in a position for which it is ready for firing and it is impossible to fire it, while Fig. 5 shows the gun ready to fire with the barrel urged against the hard surface in which a plugging and dowelling is to be performed.

The safety is obtained in a perfect manner through the impossibility of separating the fire and splinter protectors from the nozzle 9 assembling the gun body and the barrel. Any attempt at removing the fire protector leads to the dismantling of the system 10, 11, 9 (Figs. 1, 6 and 7) and prevents the use of the gun since the barrel 7 is no longer assembled within the breech case.

The system 10, 11, 9 including the splinter protector, the flame protector and the nozzle 9 may thus be changed when it is desired, for instance, to use a splinter protector of a different shape.

What I claim is:

In a gun adapted to urge plugs and pins into a compact mass, the combination of a breech, a breech case including a nozzle at its forward end, a barrel slidingly engaging the breech case and including an outer collar near its rear end, a tapped member screwed over the forward'end of the breech case and including an inner collar at a point of its length and an inturned terminal flange at its front end, a first spring urging said collar on the barrel against the collar of the tapped member, a flame and splinter protector surrounding slidingly and revolubly the front end of the barrel, a sleeve coaxially rigid with said protector, slidingly engaging the inner surface of the terminal front flange on the tapped member and including at its rear end an outer flange adaptedto e'ngagethe rear end of said terminal flange, a second spring fitted between the inner collar of the tapped member and the rear end of the protector and sleeve unit and urging the two cooperating flanges into engagement while allowing a forward movement of the tapped member with reference to the protector unit against the pressure of said second spring and a free relative movement between said cooperating flanges and consequently between said protector unit and'tapped member. 

